China Bans Ramadan Fasting In Mainly Muslim Region.. Find Out Why

China has banned civil servants, students and teachers in
its mainly Muslim Xinjiang region from fasting during Ramadan and ordered
restaurants to stay open.

Most Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk during
the holy month, which began on Thursday, but China’s ruling Communist party is
officially atheist and for years has restricted the practice in Xinjiang, home
to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority.

“Food service workplaces will operate normal hours
during Ramadan,” said a notice posted last week on the website of the
state Food and Drug Administration in Xinjiang’s Jinghe county.

Officials in the region’s Bole county were told:
“During Ramadan do not engage in fasting, vigils or other religious
activities,” according to a local government website report of a meeting
this week.

Each year, the authorities’ attempt to ban fasting among
Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang receives widespread criticism from rights groups.

China imposes restrictions on Muslim Uighurs

Uighur rights groups say China’s restrictions on Islam in
Xinjiang have added to ethnic tensions in the region, where clashes have killed
hundreds in recent years.

China says it faces a “terrorist threat” in
Xinjiang, with officials blaming “religious extremism” for the
growing violence.